SDG Talks

Why should we consider climate and environmental risk in financial investments?  Do investors care about these topics when allocating funds? In this SDG Talks, you will hear from Colin Banning who is the CEO of TGB Consulting Guatemala and national consultant for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development in the country. He has an Innovation and New Ventures Leadership Certificati...

Ombretta Androff is an  Italian-born, Miami-based freelance curator and climate activist with more than twenty years of curatorial expertise with an international practice across non-profit institutions, commercial galleries, and art advisory pursuits with private clients. An avid swimmer, diver and kiteboarder, since moving to Miami in 2013, Ombretta's passion for the Florida waterways inspi...

SDG Talks presents a mini-series collaborating with UNLEASH Hacks USA around homelessness. In this third episode with Steven Samra, we take a deep dive into the challenges people experiencing homelessness face on a daily basis. Steven breaks down the concept that we are not talking about homeless people but instead, people experiencing homelessness.  Steven explains why these words matter and...

SDG Talks presents a mini-series collaborating with UNLEASH Hacks USA around homelessness. In this second episode, we discuss issues of homelessness with Shelby Fredrickson around topics such as climate change, lack of housing during COVID, and the pursuit of green economies.  Shelby is a recent graduate of the Sustainable Environment Systems Master of Science program at Pratt Institute, wher...

SDG Talks presents a mini-series collaborating with UNLEASH Hacks USA around homelessness. In this first episode, we discuss homelessness from a unique perspective; from the eyes of a man that was once homeless.  Theo Parisi gives us a glimpse into what it means to be homeless and how society currently treats the homeless population.  Especially during the Covid-19 Pandemic, this unshelt...

Dr Nicolene du Preez and Peter Philips are on a joint venture to re-imagine education. With COVID-19 as the catalyst for change, in just 3 months a local Balinese community came together to build the Open Flow Learning Centre after many years of ideation and vision between these two educators. Located in the centre of Bali, Indonesia the local and global connections are undeniable with everyday br...

Saying you innovate and actually innovating are two different things.  So how does one foster a culture of innovation that creates success? Gregory Pepper gives a glimpse into his experiences as an innovation designer, who's core experience is in creating programs in innovation and sustainability for early-stage ventures, corporates, NGOs, and universities. He currently leads UNLEASH+ , a 6-m...

In this episode, you will hear Kleber’s passion for infrastructure and education. We discuss the everlasting impacts of the 2014 World Cup and 2016  Summer Olympics, the challenges of infrastructure, and technology development across Brazil. Kleber Santos works at the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) as an Innovation Analyst. His main role is to assist people to p...

Isha Sharma has recently finished her masters degree in economic policy and international development at the London School of Economics. She is also currently the only student and the first and youngest South Asian Woman to be on the LSE Council - the highest governing body of the university. She is also one of the Company Director and Charity Trustee of the school. Isha is  also a UN Local P...

We often hear about the energy-water-food nexus, but what does it actually mean?  In this episode of the SDG Talks Podcast, Femeena Valappil breaks down the myths around this concept and sheds light around the most recent science around this field.  Femenna recently joined Penn State University as a Postdoctoral scholar where her research focuses on developing sustainable solutions at th...

In this episode of SDGTalks I invite on Alison Lomax, the director of the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust, to discuss marine mammal conservation in the west coast of Scotland ( https://hwdt.org/ ). Alison outlines the trust’s approach to conservation through citizen science and the engagement of the wider public in the support of sighting and tracking. The conversation is close to me, as I plan...

Camila Olmedo Mendez is passionate about how humans can activate their personal capabilities to alter the status quo and drive sustainable change. Camila is the co-founder of START, a volunteer organization that seeks to equip youth to create impact projects and collaborate with volunteering. Camila has been very active on different platforms such as Unleash, the Unschool School of Disruptive Desi...

What does innovation in the water sector mean? How do you "actually" innovate?  In this SDG Talks podcast, we are honored to have Barry Liner discuss the different obstacles and opportunities around innovation in the water sector. We will cover some of his biggest successes, failures, and messages to fellow Water-Prenuers out there! Barry Liner is the Chief Technical Officer of the Water Envi...

Why is proper nutrition so important?  How can we spread this education to those across Kenya and the world?  In this episode of the SDG Talks Podcast, you will hear from Maureen Muketha who is a nutritionist that is passionate about Sustainable Development Goal 2 - Zero Hunger.  Maureen is the founder of Tule Vyema - Swahili word for ‘Let’s Eat Right’ .   Tule Vyema is an orga...

Voted as a top Indian purpose-driven leader, Pratik Gauri is a serial social entrepreneur, investor, public speaker, and writer committed to making the world a better place by creating the 5th Industrial Revolution through servant-driven leadership. Pratik works for the 5th element group who is helping to facilitate this 5th industrial Revolution. They work with brands to amplify brands their bran...

What does renewable energy actually mean and what are the different types?  How can individuals, businesses, and governments play a role to adopt more renewable energy sources? In this episode, you will hear from Assmaa Almaairgy (also known as Sam). Sam is a 27-year-old environmentalist and blogger from Egypt who founded her company 6 years ago.  Her company, Earthava, strives to inform...

Thiago Jesus is a senior project manager at People’s Palace Projects, an arts organisation based at Queen Mary University of London, working on cross-cultural initiatives between Brazil and the UK. One of his current projects is an ongoing programme of artistic residencies for cultural preservation at the Kuikuro indigenous territory in the Xingu, Amazon region. Since its start, Thiago has produce...

The youth can change the world!  Since a very young age, Yasmin has been involved in social impact and worked along other young people in issues ranging from homelessness and human trafficking to the refugee crisis and human rights education. She deeply believes in the power of youth to create change and believes with the right tools; the youth can play a significant role in changing the worl...

In this episode of SDGTalks, Simran Nanwani talks about her own experimentation with fad diets and the need for understanding the needs of your body on a deeper level to ensure you are giving it what it needs. Understanding your body includes being selective with what you eat, mindful about how that food affects you and then following up with a good look at your poop to make sure nothing is wrong!...

PFAS in the water is a common news headline that we see today.  But what does PFAS in the water actually mean? In this SDG Talks, you will hear from Chris Olivares who is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California Berkeley working on chemical treatment of PFAS and their impact on microorganisms for pollutant clean up.  His research surround  how microbes and pollutant...

Deya Ward is a zoologist, filmmaker and speaker who is passionate about the natural world and conservation of natural ecosystems. Having completed her masters degree in wildlife filmmaking two years ago, Deya has worked at the BBC on David Attenborough’s landmark series Seven World’s One Planet and is now working with another production company on a wildlife series produced for Netflix.  Alth...

Sustainable Farming is not a myth.  In fact, we have the capacity to grow more, eat healthier and live in harmony with mother earth… if we are willing to change our practices.  In this SDG Talks, you will hear from sustainable agricultural specialist George Chapman on a range of topics around sustainable farming.  George is a 24 year old Australian that grew up on a Tea Tree farm an...

In this SDG Talks podcast we hear more about Corina Shika Kwami's journey and experiences working on infrastructure, health and tech projects from over 10 countries around the world. Corina comes from a broad background, and has recently completed here PhD in Civil, environmental and geomatic engineering from the University College of London, focusing on innovations in the governance of water util...

In this SDG Talks podcast we will explore the "forgotten SDG 16" through positive storytelling with Kasha Slavner.  By sharing stories of people who have triumphantly overcome adversity, we can learn about what it means to make the world a better place despite all obstacles.  Kasha Sequoia Slavner started The Global Sunrise Project which is multi-award-winning GEN-Z documentary that crea...

In this SDGTalks we turn the tables on one of our hosts, Kevin Sofen, and discuss his journey and social enterprise Wristponsible, an organisation which raises financial capital and social awareness for water projects aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.  You will hear about how Kevin approaches water projects and discuss the specific water opportunities in Flint.   LinkedIn:...